Cleaning Up My Inbox Changed My Day

Email is where productivity goes to die + unless you build a system that works for you.

As someone who toggles between Outlook/M365 and Apple Mail across devices, I lived in chaos. Emails would disappear, rules wouldn’t sync, and I never felt “caught up.” I knew something had to change.

Here’s what helped:

• I created just a few folders: “Action Needed,” “Waiting On,” and “Read Later.” That’s it.
• I set rules in Outlook to automatically move certain emails out of my inbox. 
• I turned off notifications. That was hard at first + but now I work from my calendar, not my inbox; I am still working through this transition.
• Every email gets touched once. I either respond, delegate, file, or delete.

Now, I check email with intent; this is still a work in progress. The 4-hour workweek book gave me some principles, but we know our bad habits. The rest of my focus stays on my calendar and my customers.

Inbox zero isn’t the goal. Inbox clarity is. It’s helped me show up sharper at Microsoft, especially in a role where my time is my most valuable resource.